Countries to meet in Marrakesh in October to decide agenda for WTO Ministerial Conference

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the biennial minister level meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December, countries will meet in October in Marrakesh to decide the agenda for the crucial ministerial.

The meeting will help prepare India and others for the ministerial in Argentina so that enough discussions happen before any agenda is decided upon by the members.

The move comes in the wake of countries saying they were not prepared enough for the Nairobi ministerial in 2015 as the agenda was not discussed earlier.

While the ministerial conference or MC is scheduled to be held in Argentina, the mini ministerial in October will happen in Marrakesh in Morocco.

"Majority of the countries insisted that most meetings should take place in Geneva. The draft agenda will reach us in Morocco," said an official aware of the development.

Usually a mini ministerial happens in Paris few months before the MC.

"This time it's a one off case when one more would be held," the official added.

India will push for the ministerial decisions of Bali and Nairobi to be fulfilled especially public stockholding.